Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 463: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the status of the application for the construction of a new community school in Ballinamore, County Leitrim; her plans to progress the project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13887/07]

Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 495: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the status of the application for the construction of a new community school in Ballinamore, County Leitrim; her plans to progress the project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13993/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 463 and 495 together.

The Department recognises the need for a new Community School in Ballinamore. The Office of Public Works (OPW) is acting on behalf of the Department in relation to the acquisition of a site for the project and the acquisition of same is currently at contract/conveyancing stages. On completion of the site acquisition process the project will progress in the context of the Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme.

Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 464: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when, in view of the fact that planning permission was granted on 20 March 2007, and a short list of contractors is available, tenders will be invited for the required extension to a school (details supplied) in County Kildare. [13899/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I am pleased to inform the Deputy that devolved authority has been given to the school in question to take their project to tender stage. Therefore, it is a matter for the school and their Design Team to decide on the date that tender will be invited.

Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 465: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when, in view of the fact that planning permission was granted on 27 March 2007, and a short list of contractors is available, tenders will be invited for the required extension to a school (details supplied) in County Kildare. [13900/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I am pleased to inform the Deputy that devolved authority has been given to the school in question to take their project to tender stage. Therefore, it is a matter for the school and their Design Team to decide on the date that tender will be invited.

Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 466: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she has received the stage one and two submission in relation to the building of a new school (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she has sanctioned the advancement of the project to stage three. [13901/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The new School Building project referred to by the Deputy is at early stage of architectural planning. My Department wrote to the Design Team on the project on the 20th September 2006 requesting a stage 1/2 submission (Outline sketch scheme with costing) and this submission is expected in my Department by the end of April this year.

When this stage 1/2 submission is received in my Department, my Officials will arrange a meeting with the School Authorities and their Design Team in order to evaluate the documentation. It is envisaged that unless there are very exceptional circumstances involved, the meeting will be sufficient to authorise the project to progress to the next stages of architectural planning.

Progression of all projects to tender and construction will be considered in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme.

Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 467: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she has received the stage one and two submission in relation to the building of the required extension to a school (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she has sanctioned the advancement of the project to stage three. [13907/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The building project for the School referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. A Design Team was appointed on the project on the 28th November 2006 and the School Authorities were instructed to inform their Design Team to prepare a stage 1/2 submission (Outline sketch scheme with costing).

The stage 1/2 documentation is now awaited and when this is received in my Department, my Officials will arrange a meeting with the School Authorities and their Design Team in order to evaluate the documentation. It is envisaged that unless there are very exceptional circumstances involved, the meeting will be sufficient to authorise the project to progress to the next stages of architectural planning.

Progression of all projects to tender and construction will be considered in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme.

Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 468: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she has received the stage three submission in relation to the building of a new school (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she has sanctioned the further advancement of the project. [13908/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The building project for the School referred to by the Deputy was one of the 62 projects that I announced to start the architectural planning process in January of 2006 and to proceed to tender and construction as indicated in my announcement of November 2006.

The brief for the project consists of a 16 classroom Generic Repeat Design school building with an additional special education facility. A Design Team was appointed on the project in July of last year and following a briefing seminar in my Department's Offices in Tullamore, the Design Team were instructed to proceed to stage 3 (detailed design with costing) of my Department's Design Team Procedures.

The stage 3 documentation is awaited and when received my Officials will, if necessary, arrange a meeting with the School Authorities and their Design Team in order to evaluate the documentation. Once the stage 3 is approved, the project will proceed to advanced design and subsequently to tender and construction.